From morning workshop to evening performance, these high school musicians had just a few short hours to prepare for a concert centered on improvisation and trust.
On the evening of Nov. 14, members of the Brookline High School Music Collective gathered in the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium with New England Conservatory (NEC) students and the Lexington High School (LHS) Jazz Combo for the annual NEC Improvised Music Concert.
The audience of around 30 people was uniquely seated on stage with the performers, resembling an underground jazz club.
According to Music Collective teacher Carolyn Castellano, NEC students regularly come to help with Music Collective rehearsals, but Brookline students rarely get an opportunity to collaborate with other high schools.
“I advertised the concert on a K-12 music educators Facebook group,” Castellano said. “A couple of people responded, but Pat [the LHS Jazz Combo teacher] was the only one who really came through. After this year, I hope to get some other people to join as well. It was awesome.”
To prepare for the performance, students participated in a workshop led by NEC mentors the morning of the concert. During the workshop, students collaborated in two 90-minute sessions. They worked on arranging pieces for the concert: “Golden” from the movie “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan. Then, the students were trained in improvisation with the NEC mentors, focusing on modern soloing techniques.
Sophomore Benji McGinnis, the Music Collective’s upright bass player, said improv training before the concert was fundamental to an innovative show.
“In the improvisation training, we also set rules for the solos,” McGinnis said. “For example, you can only come in at the end of four, you can only play once every three measures, or only play phrases with five notes. That was really helpful because when you sort of constrict yourself, you can find new ways to be creative, which I think is true for every part of life.”
Senior Amelia Baraona Barros, who plays electric bass for the Music Collective, said she used to feel nervous before improvised performances, but she has learned to be calm and not overthink it.
“In the end, if you have that trust with the people around you, it’s pretty easy,” Baraona said. “Even if it’s on the spot, you just have to communicate with the other people.”
McGinnis said the good chemistry with bandmates was also crucial.
“When you have that comfort with someone and that reliance on them, it becomes a catalyst for building a good musical relationship if you already have a strong personal relationship,” they said. “In music, especially when you’re learning—which you always are—you’re trying new things, and it can be really helpful to have someone you can explore that with.”
Senior Gabriel Knowles, the baritone saxophone player, said members of the Music Collective have a strong group dynamic and bonded with the Lexington and NEC students during the workshops.
“I think that everyone in the group that we’ve assembled today is bringing in years and years of musical skill, and the ability to read any piece of music,” Knowles said.“In just a few short hours during the day, we were able to work together, and all that musicianship came together.”
Readers can find recordings of the concert at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/@bhsbandroommusic/videos
